Don't Lose Me As We Drift
by Brie92
Summary: He treated her love like it was a gift from the Gods themselves. Mine was like a shirt you were given and forget about until you needed to wear it for the person who gave it to you.  NaruSasu
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Everyone else can tell, but he doesn't seem to notice how much he hurts me. I guess I should be grateful for the fact; it's the only thing that keeps me from really losing it.

He always looks so lost, so confused when Hinata kindly convinces him not to make the same mistake repeatedly of inviting me to tag along with them, all of which I turn down anyways. I could say she does this to annoy me, but Hinata just isn't that kind of person. She knows that if I constantly hang around them, it will become harder and harder for me to hide my feelings.

I hate how things have turned out between us. He wonders why Sakura is always so bitchy to him for seemingly no real reason. Once upon a time, Kakashi had been on his side, defending the poor guy from Sakura's fearsome wrath, but even he is starting to have his doubts. People keep telling me that he's not worth the time and that I should just forget about him but... it's not that simple. He's my best friend— I can't just turn my back on him at the drop of a dime.

We've been around each other for what feels like our whole life. I can still recall the day when he first approached me on the playground and stated that he and I would be playmates for the rest of the year whether I liked it or not. He'd said that seeing me play by myself day after day was depressing and he couldn't fully enjoy recess with me looking so lonely by the jungle gym. "Recess is the next best thing in the world besides ramennoodles and if you can't enjoy it it's a waste," he'd said matter-of-factly as he dragged me off to the merry-go-round.

We were nearly inseparable for the remainder of elementary and much through our freshman year of high school.

Things changed our second high school year. That was when my very distant cousin Hinata moved to town with her first cousin Neji and joined our sophomore class. I had no idea we were related until my brother and I bumped into her and Neji at the grocery store over summer vacation where we were introduced for the first time as relatives, not classmates. Honestly, that had been the longest I'd ever spoken with her for the year we'd been around each other. Even after that chanced meeting, we hardly talked to each other unless you count our little head nods and pleasant "good morning"s to one another.

Either way, he fell for her. Hard. Imagine one of the toughest guys in school being seen following sweet sweet Hinata around like a love sick puppy. It was laughable! But he didn't care; his macho man act was long gone from the very moment he laid eyes on her. What I find funny— and at the same time annoying— is the way he went all shy around her. He was perfectly happy to watch her from afar like some strange stalker. Honestly, I think he scared her with his intense, constant staring.

It was at the beginning of junior year, right after I'd found out I was related to Hinata, when they started dating. They dated casually, every Friday they went to the movies, Saturdays they went out to eat, and Sundays they didn't see each other but talked a considerable amount on the phone. For the rest of the week he'd walk her to and from school. Now, don't think I hid in the bushes and followed them because I really do have better things to do with my time. I only know this because I'd been invited to hang out with them a few times and, as I stated earlier, I turned down each and every invitation.

One would think that with all the time they were spending together to two was already a couple but this wasn't true. They didn't become an official couple until a few weeks before senior year started.

I don't know how I survived him talking my ear off— both in person, over the phone, and through e-mails— about how kind, sweet, and caring she was and how they had so much in common. As a good friend I sat there and listened to majority of everything he said, only blocking him out when he started to repeat himself. There are only so many ways you can tell a person how cute your girlfriend is.

At the time I didn't understand why but I was bothered by the things he said, or a better way to put it is the way he said it. He treated her love like it was a gift from the Gods themselves.

Mine was like a shirt you were given and forget about until you needed to wear it for the person who gave it to you.

I'd catch him staring at me sometimes but I would pretend like I didn't notice. There's a distance between us and I'm the one that put it there, though I avoid the topic whenever he brings it up, brushing it off as "really? I haven't even noticed" or "you must be imagining things."

I could only keep it up for so long. He cornered me one day and demanded to know what was wrong. I finally had to admit that I felt like the third wheel when hanging out with him and Hinata. Like they say, three's a crowd.

He looks at me, shocked, surprised, hurt? I'm not sure. All I know is that his starring was creeping me out; it makes me uncomfortable when someone stares at me for too long. My discomfort was put on hold as he pulled— more like yanked— me into his arms. "_You're my best friend_," he stressed, squeezing me tighter, "you shouldn't feel that way." I quickly squeeze him back before letting go. My mind was already made up and there's no way I'm changing it again.

Things would probably go so much smoother if I could bring myself to hate her. But I just can't. Even though we're family, everyone else would think of us as complete strangers. Even though he's dating her and we're best friends, he doesn't know that Hinata and I share some blood. It's just not something we thought was worth sharing with the world.

And, besides, I truly do believe that she's in love with him. Who am I to come in between that?

* * *

Well, I have the story half way done already and I knew that if I just let it sit there, I'd never finish it, so I figured why not post it? Surely that'll get me into writing again. Hopefully you've all figured out who's POV this is and it'll remain that way for the rest of the story.

So... with nothing else to say, I'll see you next chap! Ah, and as always, feel free to leave a review ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I didn't mean to... okay maybe I did. Only just a little though. Oh God, he must think I'm crazy! But he's got some nerves, he so had it coming! He's neither my brother nor my father, thus he has no right telling me who I can and can't date or like. I don't even _like_ Kiba like that, everyone else knows except for the two idiots themselves.

Everyday when I had the misfortune of bumping into him, Kiba will give his well rehearsed speech about one day making me his. I would consider it sweet... if I were a girl and liked that kind of stuff. Anyways, I've gotten pretty good at turning him down without looking like a jerk or hurting his feelings. Finally, Kiba leaves and here comes Naruto not a second sooner.

Kiba's not good enough. I shouldn't waste my time on him. What dumbass would want to date that dumbass? Much less be seen with him? Anyone is better than that mutt.

Really, it's nothing new. Like Kiba's speech, his is also well rehearsed and overused. Usually I can ignore it, but today he seemed to hit a nerve. I just can't get him out of my head lately. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'd stumbled upon him and Hinata kissing a couple of days ago? I don't want to admit it but I believe it has had a bigger affect on me than I first thought.

It was on a Saturday, a little after two o'clock, I remember because— like an unspoken routine to embarrass me— Itachi had sent me to the store to by him a pack of condoms (it's not like he has a partner (that I know of at least) so what he needs a new box of condoms for every week is unknown to me (seriously what _does_ he do with them! Eat em?)). Anyways, I'd taken a shortcut through the woods to get home quicker (a new episode of my favorite tv show was coming on soon and I so did not want to miss it), Itachi's condoms were stuffed _very_ deeply in the pockets of my hoodie when I seen them.

I swear it was like a scene right out of some damn chick flick. The sun was shinning off in the distance, seeming to want to give the couple all of its light without blinding them. Birds were somewhere up in the trees chirping and baby animals scurried about on the forest floor. Not one single cloud wanted to grace the sky with its puffiness today despite the weather man's prediction of "a cloudy day with a chance of showers". The couple was by a small stream that was located not exactly in the middle of the woods but close enough. I remember Naruto telling me it was his favorite place to go and think when he was troubled about something.

That Saturday, he told her he loved her. There was so much passion in his eyes... I wanted to stand in front of her, block her from seeing it, and steal it all away for myself. I wanted it to be for me— why _couldn't_ it be for me!

And just like one would expect, Hinata accepted his love, blushing and a stuttering mess. I would have laughed if we were in a different place and situation. He chuckled; he must have found it cute, hugging her to him romantically.

Not wanting to leave, but not wanting to stay and watch them either, I managed to run away without being seen.

Every since that day, I haven't really been feeling like myself. Sleeping isn't as peaceful or comes at its usual time or last as long as it once had. And food doesn't seem to appealing to me as it once had, I seemingly eat _just enough_ to make it practically through the day.

Now back to the Kiba/Naruto thing. Instead of convincing him _again_ that I have no feelings for Kiba what-so-ever... I took a different approach to the matter.

I started screaming.

I'm not a child who needs to be protected from the "big bad wolf".

It was none of his _damn_ business who likes me.

He shouldn't stick his nose where it doesn't belong.

How _dare_ he act as though he has some control over my life.

I can do what I want, when I want, and with whomever I want!

He has **no** say in the matter.

At a young age, it was put into my head by my dear sweet brother that big boys don't cry. There are only three people in my life that I considered big boys now: Itachi, Kakashi, and Naruto. Note that my name is missing. Why? Become on that day, while yelling at the top of my lungs for the first time since I was born, tears were running down the side of my face.

Now, how many people do you know who can cry for a short amount of times and still look pretty afterwards, like nothing happened? Will I would like to point out that I am not one of those people. My nose runs like crazy, my eyes get all puffy and red, and my face lights up like a neon pink sign. And if I cry for a long period of time, I began to sweat and my hair starts to stick to my face.

Would you run away if you were to see some guy, yelling at the top of his lungs, all shiny and sticky, who you've probably already label as insane... or a tad bit off just by looking at him. I would.

But Naruto is dense and can't sense true danger when it's staring him right in the face. Oh how my hands ached to punch him as he just stands there, confused, as I continue to yell.

He's lucky I couldn't get my hands on him thanks to Kakashi. God only knows what I'd do to the dope's face if given the chance. He better be waiting on Kakashi on hands and knees for the remainder of the year since the silverette just saved him from an unwholesome death.

It didn't take long for my body to suck up the little energy I had left. I have, after all, been denying it sleep and food, and enough was apparently enough. Thankfully Kakashi's reactions were fast enough to catch my unconscious body before it hit the ground.

From what I was told, Naruto FREAKED and I mean freaked as in screaming and crying like a baby. It took Sakura, Kakashi, _and_ the principle to keep him out of the nurse's station. Nurse Tsunade, very much annoyed I'm sure, managed to beat it into his head that I _was__not_ dying. Still he wanted a second opinion from a "real" doctor, thus I was dragged to the emergency room. Miss. Tsunade, thankfully, went with us. She claims that she wanted to rub it in his face when they told him I was just exhausted like she'd said but deep down she knew that time alone with the blonde was the last thing I needed. She wasn't only the school's nurse but my counselor too. I go to her on almost a weekly bases to talk to her about him, nothing intimate, just the little things he does that bothers me.

As expected, the doctor said I was exhausted, possible caused by stress-related matters and should stay home and rest for the next couple days. I was definitely going to do what the doctor said. A few days away from school, Naruto, and Hinata was just what I needed.

Unfortunately...

He stopped by everyday to visit me. It would have been... _sweet_ if I weren't trying to avoid him. My brother doesn't make things any easier either; once he realized I didn't want the dope around, he invited Naruto over every chance he got.

Big brothers are just evil that way.

When he's over, I speak very little resulting in him never staying long. By the end of the week I couldn't take it any more and when he stopped by, I pretend to be asleep, hoping that he would leave. He stayed and watched me anyway, speaking softly in a voice I've never heard him use before.

He questioned our friendship, wondering how we ended up where we were. He told me he wants things to go back to normal; he wants his best friend back. If he can fix this, whatever this was, he demanded to know how. He said he would even keep his mouth shut about Kiba if it would make me feel better.

_Please, Sasuke._

Naruto never begs, not for anything or anyone. It broke my heart to hear him start now. But I'm just not strong enough to tell him what's really wrong. He'll be even more hurt if he knew he was the cause of my pain.

I brought this all upon me on my own. I can't blame it on anyone else but myself. I guess I'm not as strong as I first thought.

He was still talking, unaware that I'd opened my eyes and was staring at him. I reach a hand out, tugging at a strand of his hair that tickled my nose; he'd made himself comfortable lying in bed besides me.

Getting up into a sitting position at next braking speed, he stares down at me in awe. The look in his eyes broke my heart. I can't remember ever seeing Naruto look so happy. I think I would do anything to keep him looking at me like that.

As I struggle to sit up, he tries to help but I brush him off. Now is not the time to be weak. I promised myself that I wouldn't break down like I had— it made the situation far from better.

I apologize for worrying him and tell him that I appreciate him wanting to help me but this is something I have to figure out by myself. Although he did not push it, I can tell that he doesn't like my answer. He'll bring it up again later, I'm sure, but for now, I just want to enjoy catching up with my best friend.

* * *

...so... yeah... i dont know what to say so... see you next chap?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sakura isn't as violent towards him since he's been so worried about me lately. Both she and Kakashi take his behavior as a good sign.

"Maybe he's turning back into the old Naruto. You know, the one before Hinata came into the picture," Kakashi had suggested once, after Naruto had been hanging around us- without Hinata attached to his arm- for a couple of days. I wanted to believe his words, but I can't lie to myself. It won't help matters.

Besides, it's not right to indulge myself at Hinata's expense.

She and I talk a little more than we use to. Things are always very civil between us. We have an... an understanding of each other.

Its been almost a moth since my fainting incident and, even though so much time has passed, he still continues to be overprotective of me, though not as bad thankfully. And, like he promised so many days ago, whenever Kiba comes around me, Naruto keeps his mouth shut, although I felt his hatred for the brunet raise every since I finally accepted a date with the dog-lover.

I feel like I'm using Kiba and I hate myself because of it. But I think this is the only way I can possibly get over my feeling for Naruto.

I would like to say that the date went pretty good. I would _like_ to say that but, in truth, it was a complete disaster. I can't remember what movie we went to see, what it was even about, or where we went to see it. Did we go to a drive-in or theater?

I just barely remember Kiba having to order my food for me since I was kind of just sitting there, staring at the menu like it was in a foreign language. Maybe it was. We did go to a French restaurant... I think. Maybe Mexican? I can't remember. I don't think I even picked up my fork.

All I could think about was Naruto. And I felt horrible because of it. I mean Kiba's handsome, thoughtful, funny; everything I should have wanted in a date. And at the end of the night he thanked me for giving him a chance. He looked at me sadly and said Naruto didn't deserve me.

Then he held me as I cried. I apologized in between sobs. If I had felt bad before than this made me feel even worse- Kiba shouldn't have to comfort me like this. I tried to stop my tears as best I could. He was a good guy and didn't deserve this.

And it was in this position that Naruto found us. He yanked me from Kiba and demanded to know what was wrong. Kiba, knowing that it would be a waste trying to talk to the dope in his current state of mind, simply brushed Naruto off as nothing more than unwanted lint.

He thanked me for the date, saying he had a great time (something I found hard to believe), and that we should do it again. Then he left. I thanked him in an uneven voice, saying that another date sounded lovely. I _had_ to make up for this one somehow. The entire time I kept my eyes focused on the ground. I didn't want to look Naruto in the eyes.

I was doing a pretty good job at it too until he raised my head with a hand under my chin. It didn't take a genius to know he was angry... and hurt. He wanted to know why the hell I could tell Kiba what was wrong but not him.

I shook my head, taking a step back; I couldn't think right being so close to him.

"If you really care about our friendship... you'll drop it." I could fell my voice breaking... it's been doing that a lot lately.

The expression he wore scared me. I couldn't read him. I've _always_ been able to read him, no matter how well he tries to hide his feelings. What was happening to us?

With no other words left to say, he removed his hand from my chin. I thought I was home free, that he would go away. But this is Naruto. When does he ever do what _I_ want him to do? As of lately his sole purpose in life seems to be giving me hell.

He took my keys from my pocket and opened the front door, gently pulling me inside with his hand tangled in mine. I tried not to blush at the touch, though my mind had flown off to la la land at that moment.

Itachi greeted us at the front door, probably having wanted to interrogate me about my date so he could gossip about it later with his friends. God, he's a jerk...

His words died in his throat as he spotted my tear-stained face. Itachi stared at Naruto calmly, silently asking who had made his otouto cry. They would pay. Naruto shook his head in a "not now" manner, promising to speak with him later as he guided me to my room. I heard Itachi running into the living room, most likely heading for the phone to call some friends over to help him hunt down the guy responsible for my tears. If only he knew...

We sat side by side on the bed. It felt... awkward and it just got more uncomfortable when he put an arm around me and pulled me into a sideways hug. He told me that he couldn't imagine anything that would make me think he would stop being my friend. He said that I was one of the best things to every enter his life and he was selfish enough to want to keep me there as long as possible.

He hugged me once more then told be to get some sleep. "Those bags under your eyes will never go away if you don't." He joked, ruffling my hair and kissing my forehead. He hasn't done that in years. It felt... nice. I never realized how much I've missed the feeling of it.

I took Naruto's advice and went to bed, still feeling his arms around me long after he left.

* * *

I know, it's a lot on the short side. Believe it or not, it was way shorter than this .-.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I guess I can say that I've returned back to my normal self. I can tease Sakura about her secret crush on Kakashi and talk to Kiba without constantly apologizing. I can even look at Naruto and Hinata without my heart throbbing. It still hurts but I've grown accustomed to it.

Lately, they've been arguing a lot. When I see them together, they don't seem as happy as before. I guess the honeymoon is over. You would think that I'd be ecstatic but... I'm not. I hate to see him so upset.

I finally gathered the courage to ask him how he was holding up. He only smiled and ruffled my hair, saying that his problems had nothing to do with me and that it was time he stop depending on me so much.

That was all a load of bull. I can read in-between the lines. What he was really saying was that he didn't think I can handle both his problems and my own. I can't really blame him for worrying so much about me and, I guess, he's right. I have been very brittle as of late.

We've gotten pretty good at avoiding certain topics. This is both good and sort of heartbreaking— I've never had to watch what I say around him before. I want things to go back to how they were; I want my best friend back.

But, as the saying goes, "You can't always have what you want." I'll have to suck it up and keep moving on with my life.

Somehow, I've managed to put all my teenage problems to the side long enough to start filling out applications for college. I chose schools based on the graphic design programs they provided.

Naruto was looking for colleges that provided animation classes. Sakura was going for multimedia developer and Kakashi for computer programming.

When we first discovered that our career interests were quiet similar in a way, we talked about going into our own independent video game development company. Seriously! We've already started on a story line for one and its quiet good if I do say so myself. Its the _perfect_ mix of every video game genre out there without being over the top.

There's only one problem. Our little group isn't as close as we once were. Sakura can't seem to go a day without punching Kakashi through a wall because of the pervert treating her as his personal groping doll. And Naruto and I are nearly strangers now. To say the least, we won't be going into business together anytime soon.

It was a nice dream while it lasted.

.O.

They're fighting again. They seem to be doing that a great deal lately. I spotted them one fighting outside the school's main gate. I tried to leave before either of them spotted me but with no such luck. Hinata caught me before I could take a step back. She brushed off my endless apologies, saying, "If we wanted privacy we would have gone to a more isolated area."

She called me later that same day wanting to meet me somewhere so we could talk. My place was instantly ruled out; there would be no time for a private conversation with Itachi around. The same went for her house with Neji there.

We agreed to meet in two hour at the cafe around the corner from our school. I had chores to finish and she had to go to a dance recital.

Itachi, being the jerk that he is, added some extra chores to my list at the last minute, so when the time came to meet up with Hinata, I was already running a half hour late. There was no time to change into something clean and appropriate, so I ended up showing up in an over-sized t-shirt and too big sweat pants. Hinata looked as though she'd just been dressed by enchanted forest animals. Her beauty held the attention of every person in the room.

Seeing her looking so graceful made me a little self-conscious. It's effortless to wallow when you're dressed for the part, I guess.

She thanked me for coming, and asked if I would like to order anything. I ordered without the need of a menu— I've been to this place plenty enough times with Naruto and the others so I know the entire menu by memory by now.

Our drinks arrived shortly after, neither of us spoke as we dived into the pure bless only caffeine can produce. Between sips, I noticed her fiddling with the spoon in her cup, unnecessarily stirring it around and around. This was a dead give away that something was wrong. Hinata only ever fidgeted when something was bothering her.

She took one final sip before announcing that she was planning to break up with Naruto. I stared at her, unblinkingly, setting my cup down gently on the table. The last thing I needed was another surprise leaving her lips that could cause me to nearly choke on my drink. She continued on, saying that things "just aren't working out between us." Naruto had given her so much of himself whereas Hinata was still holding a piece of herself back. She'd tried to return his feelings to the fullest like he'd done, but she couldn't. "He deserves someone who can and will without hesitation."

She said that she'd been feeling this way for a while. She knew that they wouldn't last for much longer. But she found it difficult to bring things to an end with someone who accepted her so willingly. No one saw past her mask. To everyone else, she was Hinata this beautiful package, absolutely unique. But she only saw the imperfections. Naruto sensed the lonely girl hidden deep inside her.

I understood perfectly. Someone like Naruto was hard to let go of.

"I think he's too dense to understand his feelings for you." She said with a giggle.

Apparently, I'm all he talks about. She has to listen to him rant on and on about why every person who shows some interest in me isn't good enough. How I can do much better. Each time, she said she'd ask him what kind of guy he would deem "good enough" for me. And each time he would change the topic.

He doesn't think I like him anymore. He's worried about me but doesn't know how to tell me. He thinks that I think he's bothersome and will end our friendship if he keeps coming to me every time he has a problem.

He feels like he's losing me and doesn't know how to get me back.

Silence fell upon us once again. I would have never guessed he felt that way. I couldn't quiet explain how that made me feel either.

After everything she'd just told me, I struggled to find a reply. Finally, I just had to ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

If I would have thought it possible, I would have to say that Hinata actually _glared_ at me. "No matter what happens, I still care for Naruto. This will most defiantly hurt him and he will not know who he can go to with his troubles. If it is possible for him to still come to you, he needs to know that. Sasuke, I won't pretend to understand how your feelings work, I can only assume that he has hurt you on more than one occasion through his ignorance." At this, I nodded, though it seemed a wasted effort on my part as she continued on talking. "You wouldn't be at fault if you stayed angry at him because of this but please keep in mind our conversation for today."

She hung around a while longer after that, finishing up her daily dosage of caffeine. We didn't speak to one another and after awhile she left, leaving the payment and a tip for the waitress.

It was another hour later before I finally exited the cafe.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I seen this coming, I swear I did. Naruto didn't come to _me_ when Hinata broke up with him. _No_, he went to _Kakashi_. Damn him! He _would_ go to that pervert first. But after my conversation with Hinata, I completely understand why he would go to the older teen in this situation.

But still... that doesn't mean I have to be happy with his decisions.

I have to show Naruto that I'm weak, that I am as strong now as he'd always known me to be. This is our last year of high school, who knows, after this we may never see each other again. I don't want to end the year like this.

I've spotted Hinata a couple of times around school. To the outside world, I'm sure that the breakup seems to have had no effect on her. She looked just as cool and well put together as always. But I'm not fooled by that look; I can see that she hasn't taken this easily. There is a weakness about her that hadn't been there before.

Almost a week after the breakup, I walk into my drama class which I just so happened to share with Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata. For our assignment we were to pair up with another classmate. Naruto was evidently ignoring his ex for he stood over by our silver and pink haired friends on the opposite side of the room. I made it half way across the class, and then I hesitated. No one seem to fancy having Hinata as a partner. I went to stand besides her.

She looked as stunned to see me as I had been to see Sakura with black hair on the first day of school; it's true that some things are just too far from unimaginable. I asked her if I could be her partner for the project. She gave me the smallest of smiles with a nod.

While the teacher explained what exactly we were to do, I felt a pair of eyes burning into the side of my skull. No surprise I turn my head to see none other than pure azure eyes looking into mine. For a second, my breath caught in my throat. Then I shook the silly sensation away and mouthed, "what?" to which he replied by shifting his gaze from me to Hinata then back to me. From his expression alone, I could tell that he was wondering why I'd pair up with Hinata when I could have just as easily been his partner.

Ha, if only it _were_ that uncomplicated.

What he failed to understand was that Hinata and I shared a common bond: we both want to make Naruto happy but we're unable to give him what he needs or wants.

Naruto, who was the only one without a partner, was forced to pair up with the teacher or else fail the assignment. The task for today was simply enough; mimic your partner. We did a few hand and leg gestures and were done within minutes. To say the least, that was the easiest A I've ever gotten.

After class, Hinata all but vanished from the room. I caught up with Naruto right before he had a chance to escape also. We walked to the cafeteria, grabbed our lunch, and took a seat with our friends— Kiba (I'd invited him to start sitting with us last week), Ino, Lee, and Tenten— who had the same lunch as us. Naruto made a point of sitting between Kiba and me and involved himself into any conversation the brunet tried to start with me.

Some minutes before the bell was due to ring, and once the other occupants of the table had departed, I managed to gather enough courage to ask Naruto if he would like to hang out later. I tried to sound as casual as I could, but there was unmistakable anxiety to be heard in my voice. He agreed, and in turn, asked if I was going to finish my chips. I pushed the unopened bag towards him, downing the rest of my soda in one gulp.

After school, we wondered about with no real destination in mind. We talked very little; we never use to need to say anything anyways. Just being around one another was okay. Soon we came to my house where we watched a little TV, played some video games, attempted to do homework (a task we both gave up on right away as a result of a lack of giving a damn) and finished off the remainder of last night's pizza. As the night rolled on, Naruto announced that he had to get home. I walked him to the edge of the driveway, wanting to soak in as much time with him as possible.

Before he left, he pulled me into a hug, one soft and tender. I sighed. When he pulled back there was a smile on his face, a real one; one that made his eyes twinkle and cause me to fail to remember how to breathe. I've missed that smile. He whispered a "thank you" into my ear, and then pulled away.

I stood there until he was out of my sight.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

You know when you get that feeling that declares something is too good to be true? Yeah, well, I've been having that sensation for the last couple days and today, it was so much worse. Lately, my life has been nearly stressless.

That's how I knew that faith was up to no good.

And wouldn't you know; I was right. It's an Uchiha thing, I swear. We _can't_ be wrong.

It was fifth hour; I'd just survived a brutal test in my AP Literature class— which I'm totally sure I brilliantly failed with flying colors— and was heading to the Media Center to work on some major extra credit.

Well, to get from the English hall to the Media Center, I have to bypass the hall where the weight lifting room is. Like always, the double doors are left wide open, filling the halls with loud music and the musty scent of teenage boys working out.

So I'm just minding my own business when I hear my name being yelled. Obviously, if they know my name enough to yell it out into the sky, I must recognize the voice— or in this case voices. And I did.

Backtracking, I peek into the weight room. The guys have all stopped "buffing up their bodies" to stare at the two causing a scene in the center of the room. My eyes slowly drift towards the two, discovering it to be none other than Naruto and Kiba shoving each other back and forth as people begin to form a loose circle around them. There is also a crowd gathering around the door, forcing me into the room as more people shove themselves inside to watch the scene unfold before them.

"Why the hell would I let my best friend waste his time on some worthless trash like you?"

Naruto... don't...

"I treat him way better then you do!"

Kiba...

"I've never made him cry!"

Stop it now, please...

Kibs crossed his arms, sneerling at his competitor. "Some best friend you are! You've caused him more pain than you can consider. Did you have to make it so fucking obvious that Sasuke means nothing to you? Flaunting Hinata around like you were. It's no wonder Sasuke's been so depressed!"

Naruto swallowed, his tanned face turning pale enough to match my own. "Shut the hell up, dog boy! You don't know what you're talking about." His fists were shaking and his voice had risen slightly half way through his sentence. That only happened when he was on the borderline of overcoming denial and wasn't ready to face the final results.

"If anyone's not good enough for Sasuke, it's you. You don't deserve him as a friend or anything else for that matter. _Everyone_ saw it— teachers, Hinata, hell even kids from the other schools could see that he's in love with you! But no, not you, you're too fucking blind to notice Sasuke's feelings!"

All this time I've been carefully fixing pieces together, gently taping and gluing the creaks back in place, getting my life back to somewhat normal, and in a matter of seconds, it all came crashing back down thanks to one well-meaning, but extremely dumb as hell male friend. At this moment, I could have happily thrashed him over the head with one of those weights.

Silence. I could feel the eyes of those closes by slowly drifting to stare at me, expecting something. I wish I could sink into the floor, disappear, be abducted by aliens, anything to not be here.

I took a step back to run away— where? I don't know, anywhere— but a voice in my head— which was suspiciously identical to Sakura's— suggested I do something else.

Kiba gasped, finally noticing me standing there after someone elbowed him in the side. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as I marched forward, words of apology slipping out faster and faster the closer I got. His apologies ended thanks to one well aimed uppercut. Behind me, the student body gasped in union as the brunet went a good inch into the air before crashing back down to the ground.

When I turned to leave, they instantly cleared a path. However, before I could make it too far, Naruto was at my side congratulating me for "finally putting the moves on that wimp."

My anger flared once again. This was his entire fault.

So I introduced him to my fist too. At this moment, as I watched his sink to the ground, face twisted in pain, and hands clutching at his stomach, that I wondered; just where the hell was the weight room teacher?

Despite the slight throbbing in my hand, I was in a fairly better mood now. I felt not a pinch of guilt at what I'd just done, and quiet honestly, I wish I could do it again.

As if hearing my wish, my fairy godmother, all dressed in pink, magically appeared from the crowd, looking first at me, then to Naruto now on hands and knees by my feet, over to Kiba who had managed to get back on his feet thanks to the support of another classmate, and then back over to me. "Sasuke, what happened!"

I grabbed Sakura's arm, dragging her behind me as we left, not letting go until we were off of school grounds. I then proceeded to retell the wondrous last twelve minutes of my life that almost turned me homicidal.

Sakura couldn't stop congratulating me, and saying that I deserved a reward for finally taking charge. Thus we went to stuff ourselves with brain freezingly cold ice cream, pizza, and milkshakes. It was the most fun I'd had all school year!

I just wished it would last a little longer.

The remainder of the week and the next week after that, Naruto and I were, unsurprisingly, on no-speaking terms. I got the feeling that he was avoiding me. Sometimes I would see him in the halls only to have him turn and go the other way. In class, where he couldn't get away from me, he would sit as far from me as possible, although I would catch him staring at me from time to time.

As an Uchiha, I am a very patient person by nature. Even after everything that has happened between us, I'm still happy to wait for Naruto to come back to me. He's pretty dense and this could possible take forever with him, but I know he needs some time to think everything over and come to terms with the information that was overloaded onto him. Kiba's unsympathetic confrontation really tore apart a huge chunk of his world.

And besides, what else could I do? I love him after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

It took him some time, almost a month, but Naruto finally gained enough of a backbone to approach me. I was in the backyard on the old swing set my dad had built years ago, snacking on a bowl of strawberries.

At first, when I heard the footsteps approaching, I mistook them for Itachi's, but then he walked by me to sit on the other swing. I felt his eyes on me as I lifted another strawberry to my mouth. Anxiety took over me. What if he came here to tell me that it would never work? What if he hated me now? What if he wanted to end our friendship once and for all?

With a deep breath, and a will of determination, I turn to him, holding out the bowl of fruit as a peace offering. "Want some?"

He nods slowly, and then reaches for one. "Thanks."

We sit in silence until all the strawberries were gone.

"So... how've you been?"

He grimaces, as if having dreaded me asking. "Horrible. These past few months I've been worried about you, convinced that you were dying for one reason or another, only to discover that I'm the one to blame. I'm so sorry, Sasuke."

I twirl the bowl around in my hand, smiling sadly down at it. "Even if you had known back then, what would you have done, Naruto? Pretended that you loved me so you wouldn't hurt my feelings? I hope you're not planning on doing that now. It would be far worse then just saying you're not interested in me."

"I would never do that!" He said, angrily.

"Still, it's not your fault. It's mine." I turn my head away, shamefully. "If I wasn't so weak, you would never have noticed. I should have handled things differently."

He chuckled, darkly. It sounded so strange coming from the hyperest guy in school. "I wasn't supposed to notice? You're my best friend and you've hurt yourself to the point of hospitalization and I'm inot supposed to notice!/i" He stood up and took a few steps forwards, his breathing harsh and uneven. I listen as he takes a few deep breaths, struggling to calm himself. "Sasuke, you've been my best friend since forever. You were there when I had to go get braces and all the kids teased me, and when I broke my leg trying to do a kick flip off the garage, and when my parents divorced. But when the one time comes that I can pay you back for being there for me all this time, not only can I not help, I'm to blame for it too."

"Really, Naruto, it's not your fault. This is my problem and I'll handle it."

He chuckled, retaking his seat on the swing and giving himself a light push. "That's such an Uchiha answer. And if I do remember correctly, I'm mixed up in 'your' problem, and if an Uzumaki becomes involved in anything we make it our business. So I guess that makes it our problem now."

I sigh. "Okay, Naruto."

"Okay?" He stops swinging, leaning forward to stare at me. "Are you sick or something? You never give in that easily."

I let out a snort. "I've never felt better." Still, he reaches over to feel my forehead. I smack his hand away and he grins. This leads to him unleashing an unexpected tickle war against me that ended with me panting and red faced on the ground several feet from the swing set.

"Idiot," I manage to gasp out, grinning up at him hovering over me.

He gets comfortable besides me, than lies down so that his head is resting on my stomach. "You know," he began slowly, playing with a blade of grass, "now that I've thought about it... us together like that doesn't seem so weird anymore." He sat up, looking down at me carefully.

I thought he was joking, but after he continued to stare at me with that sober expression, I knew this was as serious as Naruto would ever get. The smile on my lips slipped off as uneasiness settled in. "Naruto..." He made a humming noising of acknowledgment, turning his gaze elsewhere. I sat up also, looking off in another direction. "You can't use me as a rebound for what happened with Hinata. And I won't settle for the relationship you and Hinata had. I want as much back as I'm putting in."

Part of me wanted to take the words back, to confess that I would be more than happy to have him any way he presented himself to me. Another part of me was afraid that he'd be angry that I wouldn't just accept what he had to offer, but instead wanted more.

I was surprised when I felt a strand of my hair tugged gently. It was his way of asking me to look at him. "Any person that would make you settle for less doesn't deserve you."

He pulled at my hair again, the knuckles of his fingers brushing against my earlobe. I squirmed slightly. Oddly, my ears are extremely sensitive and he knew this. I felt something slick and wet against my ear and giggled at the feel of him nibbling on it.

He pulled back, relaxing once more in his lying position with his head in my lap. "Whenever you decide to give us a try, I'll be waiting right here."

"In my lap?"

He didn't answer, instead closing his eyes, signifying the end of the conversation.

I sat there, shocked. Truthfully, I hadn't expected this moment to go this... smoothly. Slowly, I settle back into a lying position too, staring blankly up at the clouds as I gathered myself. There's slight movement coming from Naruto as he makes himself comfortable on my stomach again.

He was here, he would continue to be here, he promised not to go anywhere, not to drift. In return, I won't drift either.

I'm not going to lose him and he wouldn't lose me.

We would make this work.

* * *

**I know I know, none of you wanted this lovely little story to end but sadly enough it had to. And yes this is the last chapter. Hopefully you all still enjoyed it even though the chapters were a bit short (ok very short) and it took like forever for me to update and there wasn't any hardcore Naru/Sasu moments. I don't even think I gave you guys a kiss scene to squeal over. :'(**

**To wrap things up and prevent myself from rambling, this is Brie92 saying have a kick ass day and I hope to have you as a reader again soon!** **Ciao! ;D**


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